Mission Day 5 and 6
We have left Poland, and technically the March of the Living is over. Our mission continues in Europe as we explore some roots and revival. We spent a few days in Berlin. The group toured the Holocaust Memorial and a few other sites to get oriented. Chris and I missed the day as we were in Wroclow tracing my fathers grandparents roots. We toured the old Stork Synagogue, where his family attended shul. It was destroyed during Krystallnacht but has been refurbished as a museum and education center. We then were guests at the city's dedication of a memorial plaque to honor the Jews who were deported. It was a ceremony in Polish and German, as it was paid for by the German government. I really did not understand much. The Director of the Jewish Community, who one of my relatives some how knows, was lovely and so excited for me to be there. I had to make it a quick visit so I could return to the group in Berlin. We used a car service and after it picked us up we stopped at the Old Jewish cemetery, and thanks to my sisters detective work, we quickly visited the grave of my great grandfather, Felix Hirshberg, who passed in 1929. My father never knew him. It was a powerful day. Then we drove 4 hours to Berlin. There was no real noticeable border - it is more like travelling state to state in the USA.
We spent Friday night attending services at a local synagogue. It was a bit off putting hearing German spoken at a synagogue, but the cantor had a beautiful voice and they made us feel welcome. The siddur in Hebrew and German was interesting to see. Using the Hebrew to follow along, and no English to guide me was fun. Not once did the clergy say a page number. The women and men sit separate in this congregation. We were told that the reason is they are trying to maintain the traditions pre-war, and that is how it was done then.
After services we went to dinner at the local Chabad. Nothing fancy, but it was the only way to have a shabbat style dinner, so it was nice to support and be part of the Jewish community this way. They were running late, so we took advantage of the time to speak about who we were marching for and it was a sweet and sad sharing moment.
I am not sure, but Suzi may have been married off to another guest at the dinner. We eventually saved her from her suitor.
A young 20 something Chabadnick from Australia chatted us up a bit. It was pouring rain outside when we got there, so when we heard the rain had stopped, we ran out to meet the bus. The chabad is located on a small road, so the bus dropped us off a block away - in the rain we all got drenched going to the dinner. So, we did not stay to bench. We did participate in the beginning blessings, which included the longest Shalom Aleichem I have heard.
Saturday we did some touring of Berlin, the Berlin wall and amazing buildings and history. We have new guides who we are getting to know and seem very knowledgeably. The hotel is amazing, and after the experience in Poland, it is nice to be comfortable. We made havdallah tonight and Rabbi David once again hit a grand slam. He put the notion of separation, which is what havdallah stands for into our tour context. We are separating our week in Poland, from what we will explore now in week two. We asked each person to write a letter to themselves or the person who wrote them so they can be sure to capture some thoughts and feelings in the moment. And a few people shared the meaningful part of the week. It was another powerful moment. For me, it is the feeling of mourning that was so over whelming in Majdenak, and the site of the Arbeit Macht Frie gate, and the 7 tons of ashes. Those sites and feelings are now part of me.
We have all learned, witnessed and grown from this experience. Seeing documentaries or reading does not do justice to seeing first hand what life was like - not just the camps, but the devastation of 3 million Polish Jews being slaughtered to only 300,000. We not only mourn the lives, but the culture and the promises of life they could have led.
Coming to Germany after Poland has been challenging, but slowly we are all falling for Berlin. There is a rich culture here, and one guide, Jeremy, said something so eloquent - the German people have never said sorry. Not because they are not, their actions speak loudly that they are. Seeing the plaque dedication is evidence to that. He explains, when the words sorry are said it implies closure. That it is acceptable to move on. The German people believe we should never move on, we must remember the lives, and how this happened, dare we let it happen again.
In the small museum in the Stork synagogue, there is a special exhibit about genocide. Sadly, the world has let it happen again.
We look forward to another day of site seeing and learning tomorrow - I look forward to a day without tears. I am not so sure that day will be tomorrow.
We spent Friday night attending services at a local synagogue. It was a bit off putting hearing German spoken at a synagogue, but the cantor had a beautiful voice and they made us feel welcome. The siddur in Hebrew and German was interesting to see. Using the Hebrew to follow along, and no English to guide me was fun. Not once did the clergy say a page number. The women and men sit separate in this congregation. We were told that the reason is they are trying to maintain the traditions pre-war, and that is how it was done then.
After services we went to dinner at the local Chabad. Nothing fancy, but it was the only way to have a shabbat style dinner, so it was nice to support and be part of the Jewish community this way. They were running late, so we took advantage of the time to speak about who we were marching for and it was a sweet and sad sharing moment.
I am not sure, but Suzi may have been married off to another guest at the dinner. We eventually saved her from her suitor.
A young 20 something Chabadnick from Australia chatted us up a bit. It was pouring rain outside when we got there, so when we heard the rain had stopped, we ran out to meet the bus. The chabad is located on a small road, so the bus dropped us off a block away - in the rain we all got drenched going to the dinner. So, we did not stay to bench. We did participate in the beginning blessings, which included the longest Shalom Aleichem I have heard.
Saturday we did some touring of Berlin, the Berlin wall and amazing buildings and history. We have new guides who we are getting to know and seem very knowledgeably. The hotel is amazing, and after the experience in Poland, it is nice to be comfortable. We made havdallah tonight and Rabbi David once again hit a grand slam. He put the notion of separation, which is what havdallah stands for into our tour context. We are separating our week in Poland, from what we will explore now in week two. We asked each person to write a letter to themselves or the person who wrote them so they can be sure to capture some thoughts and feelings in the moment. And a few people shared the meaningful part of the week. It was another powerful moment. For me, it is the feeling of mourning that was so over whelming in Majdenak, and the site of the Arbeit Macht Frie gate, and the 7 tons of ashes. Those sites and feelings are now part of me.
We have all learned, witnessed and grown from this experience. Seeing documentaries or reading does not do justice to seeing first hand what life was like - not just the camps, but the devastation of 3 million Polish Jews being slaughtered to only 300,000. We not only mourn the lives, but the culture and the promises of life they could have led.
Coming to Germany after Poland has been challenging, but slowly we are all falling for Berlin. There is a rich culture here, and one guide, Jeremy, said something so eloquent - the German people have never said sorry. Not because they are not, their actions speak loudly that they are. Seeing the plaque dedication is evidence to that. He explains, when the words sorry are said it implies closure. That it is acceptable to move on. The German people believe we should never move on, we must remember the lives, and how this happened, dare we let it happen again.
In the small museum in the Stork synagogue, there is a special exhibit about genocide. Sadly, the world has let it happen again.
We look forward to another day of site seeing and learning tomorrow - I look forward to a day without tears. I am not so sure that day will be tomorrow.
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